Family Room Rescue

Mission: Organization : Episode MSO-703 -- More Projects »
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This space looks more like a typical teenager's room than a family room. Pro organizer Tonia Tomlin intends to make it a functional space.
Jan and Terry Thompson and their youngest daughter, 15-year-old Rachel, have big dreams of spending lots of time together in their 15 by 14-foot family room.

But several years worth of games, books and other clutter are keeping that dream from coming true, so they have enlisted professional organizer Tonia Tomlin to help them realize their dream for the space.

She starts by helping them sort through the myriad of books, games, VHS tapes, DVD, CDs, cassette tapes and photos that are strewn about. The room is then cleared of all is furniture to give Tomlin plenty of room to lay out her plan to get things in tiptop shape.

The first order of business is to replace the old entertainment unit with a larger, more functional one. She also wants to bring in a new coffee table, bookshelves and desk for Rachel. Adding a splash of color to the room will complete the look and make the room cozier. See how she did below.

Study Area

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Before: Daughter Rachel's small desk was cluttered with miscellaneous items, leaving scant room for needed supplies.
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After: Her new, larger desk is bright, cheery and organized. Sliding wire baskets (at right) provide plenty of storage space.
Entertainment Area
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Before: Organizer Tonia Tomlin said this crammed entertainment center wasn't working as hard as it could and proposed a replacement for it.
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After: The new larger unit is much more functional, housing the television as well as decorative storage boxes for videos, CDs, photos and games.
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